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tv   CNN Newsroom  CNN  December 18, 2012 8:00am-9:00am PST

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ctions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you've had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides. get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history and find an arthritis treatment for you. visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex. for a body in motion. hello everyone. i am ashleigh banfield live in
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newtown, connecticut. this is the day that the students go back to school after one of the worst school shootings in the history of this country. the school district is sending its children back but the school in question, no. the kids from sandy hook elementary are not going back to class today. they won't be going back to class for a while. they will go back to a school in a neighboring town in monroe. it is being readied for those children and they will return. as others have returned on a two-hour delay today. all of this as this town buries yet another of its dead. a 6-year-old girl, jessica rekos. her family will lay her to rest today. and just so you know a little bit more about that little child. she loved horses. she wanted a cowboy hat and cowboy boots for christmas.
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her parents spoke with abc news about their little angel. >> she was a ball of fire. she ruled the roost. >> our little ceo we called her. she was the boss. >> reporter: as they remember their child there are so many funerals that have yet to take place in this town, not only for the children but the teachers, as well. at this time, though, there is the business of getting these children back to some kind of normalcy and for so many people that means school. sandra endo has been covering that angle. give me a bit of a break down on how the school district got things up to speed so quickly and how they are prepared for getting the children back into school safely, securely and mentally. >> reporter: well, certainly a big day for students, parents, teachers here in newtown. we saw buses rolling all morning long. and by this hour classes have
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resumed. as you mentioned there was a two-hour delay for all schools. but 5,400 school students in this district have returned back to school today, the first time since friday's tragedy and they really took monday to push the reset button. students needing a break trying to absorb everything that has happened here in this town. for students and teachers and faculty they have also had a chance to talk to grievance counselors and to figure out how best to approach returning back to school. and, of course, experts are saying it is important for students to get back to a routine and get back to a sense of normalcy. they say this could be the first step to healing. and we know that trained professionals, guidance counselors, grievance counselors, police officers will all be on hand at these schools. principals have told parents to make sure they talk to their children before entering a classroom because it is an uncontrolled setting.
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you don't know what other students may say. you don't want your child to learn about the tragedy from other students, as well. clearly they are opening the lines of communication and we know that teachers will be talking about what happened here in newtown at sandy hook elementary school to their students in an age appropriate manner. so they really thought out the process here and they are hoping that a lot of these students could get back to a sense of routine and a sense of normalcy in order to heal. >> and sandra, i want to make sure that our viewers are aware of the protocol that has taken form on its own here. these are children. and we don't take pictures of children without their parents' permission. with the magnitude of the number of kids returning to school, passing behind you there have been school buses. i have seen parents walking their kids to school. how has the media responded to the need for respect of these
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people's privacy despite the fact that nothing can be really normal? >> reporter: absolutely. we are taking every precaution covering this story and this tremendous tragedy that has rocked this town and the entire nation. we are not going nearby schools. we are not showing kids' faces. we see the pain and agony in so many people's faces as they come here to this make shift memorial in the middle of town to pay respects and condolences to the lives lost in the tragedy. we have talked to parents and students who are willing to talk to us. i have gotten the sense of anxiety of returning back to school today and some parents and students say they are a little nervous and scared but clearly they want to get back to seeing their friends and have that sense of community. >> sandra endo reporting for us live in front of one of the many make shift memorials that have
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popped up all around town. i am going to take you over to monroe, the neighboring town. it is about to become an elementary school again. i will give you a lay of the land as to how they will transform that building to make it as similar as they can to the environment that the little children left behind at sandy hook. there is this parallel bit of business and that is the criminal investigation that is massive. it is on going. and much of it focuses on that young man who perpetrated this horrible violence. so much of it they hope to get from the computer, the family computers inside the home of adam lanza and his mother. sadly, though, those computers don't appear to be in very good shape and deborah joins us from that home. give me a bit of what investigators found when they went through that home? >> reporter: all of the
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mysteries of what was going on inside of adam lanza's mind, the mystery is locked inside this home. this is where he killed his mother, shot in the head before going on his rampage. we can tell you that investigators were able to find computers or at least one computer. but it was smashed. they are trying to piece together the shards to hopefully see what kind of e-mails he was sending and websites he was going to and the digital foot print that may allow them to understand what he was thinking about. we have a couple of pieces of new information. first of all just to set the scene here, this home on this hill, school buses going past this morning with children who are going back to school and clearly the absence of some children who should have been on those buses. two children who died in that massacre actually live less than half a mile from this particular home. so that is the kind of community we are talking about.
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we are learning that a friend who was doing work inside the home about eight months ago told me he noticed there was a gun lock box that adam lanza kept in the basement. that is where it is believed that she kept the guns she possessed. she liked shooting, was sort of a country girl. to have a lock box with the guns we don't knowhether they were inside at the time. nancy initially took her son to the shooting ranges because she didn't want to leave him alone for large periods of time. that is when he may have begun to be interested in this concept of shooting, firing. we do know that adam lanza was trying to try to mainstream her son. it was clear that he had problems. a school security officer appointed specific officers to keep an eye on him. they didn't want him to become a target of other children within the school. he was seeing a psychologist when he was a freshman.
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that also school appointed. in going through the divorce document and trying to make sense of all of this we found otthat while the father was responsible for the medical care the mother was responsible for all psychiatric and psychological expenses and responsible for prescription medications. they are looking at all of this to try to find out what kind of medications he was on and whether or not he may have been getting that treatment. we have seen this outpouring that you talk about there in newtown. for the first time somebody came and laid flowers at the home of nancy lanza. she was a woman who was very much liked. she was struggling but at least trying to do the right thing by her son, by herself and by her family. >> i am glad you said that because often times in the sadness that has enveloped this community there is a lot of focus on those that died at the school and teachers and children
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and rightfully so but you have to remember that she was a murder victim here shot in her own bed. that family is grieving, as well. i am sure that adam lanza's father is going through his own personal hell as two of his family members are now dead. and you should also know that the atf has told cnn that adam lanza has aattended several different gun ranges with his mother. he had taken up shooting as a hobby. [ male announcer ] research suggests cell health
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just the overwhelming details of what transpired in newtown, connecticut has gripped this nation in a way that other horrible tragedies perhaps has not. there were 20 children slaughtered at point blank range and six grownups at that school who were slaughtered at point blank range with an assault weapon that many people feel should not be legal and other people feel should be a freedom. there may be a slight shift of attitude. there are some polling numbers that are coming out lately. the latest one from cbs news showing the majority of americans shifted their
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opinions. 57% think gun laws should be more strict. 30% saying it should be kept the same. some prominent democratic lawmakers who are nra supporters have shifted their opinions, as well. and now many are saying that it is time to bring back the ban on assault weapons. democratic congress woman elect elizabeth seti will be sworn in. clearly you just saw the numbers that have come out. those are very recent. and there is this notion that there is a ground swell, a shift. i don't know that that is true yet. these are numbers just immediately following a tragic incident that has been blanketing the news. how are lawmakers responding? not to suggest you are at capitol hill yet. what is your sense of what is happening down there? >> what i am hearing from
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colleagues around the country and from friends around the country and from parents right here in newtown that something has to be done. and i do think there are tipping points. i am a mother of three. i have been a room parent in the first grade classroom. and i think the image of these young children, of six year olds a week before the holidays is so heartbreaking that it is breaking through the sense we can't do anything. that is a question of political will. >> it may be breaking through the sense for some. there are at least two democratic lawmakers very supportive of the nra who are shifting their focus and their feeling. do you sense that that is going to be the same for most republican lawmakers who almost to the letter of the d and the r don't support stricter gun control measures. do you see that that is going to plead to the republican side of the aisle? >> i think there will be a national conversation which i want to be a part of because
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part of the healing process is moving forward in a way to prevent any other community to experience what has happened to this community here which is a treasured community. 20 young innocent children, four teachers and a school psychologist who laid down their lives to protect their students. we should not be having this in our classrooms. >> there is a national conversation. we are having it right now. it has been going on for several days. how cantankerous that conversation is going to become? we have some suggest issing teachers need to be armed. there is a digging in of convictions. are things going to change? will there be a change? is this horror that was visited upon your community going to make a difference in terms of who falls on what side of the debate or will people become more entrenched? >> i certainly hope this will be
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an opportunity to move forward positively with laws that work and a conversation of cultural violence in the country and a real address of mental health issues. we are hearing a recognition that this is an issue that we have not dealt with very well as a country and we need to protect those children and to protect everyone's children. i am hopeful. i wouldn't have run for congress if i weren't hopeful that we could solve these problems and find common ground and we will need to forge that common ground with the support of the public. >> it will be interesting to see what happens in the new session. good luck to you as you head into your new job in the new year. i am so sorry we met under these circumstances. >> thank you very much. >> as the congress woman speaks to me this is her district. businesses are taking action, as well. we learned that dick's sporting goods is suspending the sales of
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modern sporting rifles in all the chains. they are not displaying the guns in the community near here. the private equity firm is selling off the maker of the bushmaster rifle that was used in the shooting that took so many lives. it's lots of things. all waking up. connecting to the global phenomenon we call the internet of everything. ♪ it's going to be amazing. and exciting. and maybe, most remarkably, not that far away. we're going to wake the world up. and watch, with eyes wide, as it gets to work. cisco. tomorrow starts here. cisco. ♪ how advanced is the new ford fusion?
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one of the first things you will notice as you drive into this beautiful town of newtown, connecticut is some of the old buildings and the lovely gently rolling hillside and then this
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extraordinary traffic. the school buses are rolling once again as these kids get ready to head back to school. it is not normally like this. the traffic is compromised of people from surrounding counties, contractors who are coming in to help with this emergency, maybe rebuilding in some of the schools, etc. and then also an enormous number of media. another thing you notice as you come into town right away on the left-hand side is this make shift memorial that sprung up several days ago and is growing exponentially. people bringing teddy bears and candles and artwork and origami and flowers. you see a lot of people with tears as they drop off what they brought. obviously some of the traffic with people from the surrounding communities. the next thing you notice is this, all of this media. people have come from all over the world to cover this story. and they are set up right in the
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town square right in the center of town, a place that is not used to seeing satellite trucks and this kind of media attention. boy, are they getting used to it now. another thing that you will find amidst all the traffic, take a look up here. police and orange cones and road closed signs. that is the roadt that leads up to the sandy hook elementary school. they are obviously limiting most of the traffic, not allowed to go up there at this time. that is the other area where there is a massive, massive memorial. i showed that to you yesterday. one of the things that we do hear from people while everybody around the country and around the world wants to share and wants to know and wants to be a part of this grieving and they are doing that through us and the window we provide, the people who live here really would like us to leave. they want to return to some kind of normalcy. when we do go and when we do
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leave this town and when our world continues, we leave all of these people with a brand new normal and something they are going to have to figure out for themselves what their new normal is going to be like. i remember so well after september 11th, the term the new normal became so common place. and it seems to be one of the things that these people here are going to have to adopt. the notion that they will have a new normal. but they are going to need a lot of help to get there. and there are a lot of people who will help them. wendy davidson is the grief counselor from this community. she is a licensed certified grief counselor. have you had a chance to speak with any families? has anyone reached out to you yet? i know it is early in this process. >> no. not yet. the people who have reached out to me are either some of the school staff or families whose children were friends with some
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of the children. >> this is a town of 27,000 people. i cannot imagine the amount of work that lies ahead in your field. how are you going to handle the amount of counseling that is needed? how many outside counselors are going to have to come here? >> i think we will probably provide a lot of group services. i think what we do -- i already run a bereavement group for families who have lost children. we will continue to do that. we will probably adapt it more specifically to those who may need it right away. a lot of people don't need grief counseling right away. they need to have a chance to just sort of settle down and let reality set in. after everybody leaves there is going to be a huge crash. >> that is what i just mentioned when i was walking through town. a lot of people want us to go. i understand that. a lot of people watching want to be here and they can only be here through the media so we
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feel we have a responsibility. we want to leave and want to let people get back to normal. when we leave i think there will be an enormous vacuum and quiet thud of silence and pain. the people of columbine said they wanted to move away. they said they wanted to leave littleton, colorado. and in the end ultimately all stayed together and found so much comfort and support in being a group. is there something to that in knowing that there are other people around you who know exactly what you are going through? >> definitely. everybody's first reaction is to return home to another home. >> some other home. >> absolutely. even after 9/11 i did a lot of stress debriefing. people wanted to go back to their native countries where here initially people may want to leave but i think it will be very helpful to band together. >> i have to ask you for those who survived and for those
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people in town who know when they go to the bank and cafe and walk through town they are going to every day encounter someone who lost someone. how are they supposed to react? what are they supposed to do when they see these victims and family members in the years to come? >> all they need to do is to say i am here and i am thinking of you. nothing else. >> but to bring it up. >> bring it up just to say i am here. you don't have to ask any personal questions or how you are doing. what they show and what they tell you is not really what is going on. it is a broken heart. i think what they will do is say i am here and i am thinking about you. that is it. >> i am so sorry for what your town is going through and will continue to go through. i wish yowl the best of luck in managing this crisis. >> i think we will grow and heal as we are growing. >> thank you for being here
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today and for helping us to sort through how this is going to transpire. there is a lot that needs to be done. if you want information on how you can pay tribute for the victims of the newtown shooting we invite you to go to cnn.com/impact. there are plenty of suggestions on what you can do to feel like you are involved. take tylenol or take aleve, the #1 recommended pain reliever by orthopedic doctors. just two aleve can keep pain away all day. back to the news.
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some business out of washington to bring your way. there has been some movement. i say some movement on the plans to avoid the fiscal cliff. and when i say some movement it means plan b because republicans
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are apparently readying something to consider plan b to try to avoid going off the fiscal cliff. we are counting down two weeks until the deadline. the deal has to be made before then. the republicans are saying that a counteroffer came their way from president obama on taxes and spending as quote not there yet. dana bash joins me live from capitol hill. i know that the speaker of the house spoke just last hour about his concerns and thoughts moving forward. are we getting anything other than rhetoric and platitudes? are we finding further movement ahead? >> reporter: we are definitely getting a lot of rhetoric and platitudes. high stakes positioning and tactical positioning right now as we get closer to that deadline. but big picture of what is going on is that the house speaker went into a meeting and announced he was going to move forward to plan b.
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what is plan b? he feels that the talks he has had with the president have stalled. he is not getting enough of what he wants in terms of spending cuts and too much when it comes to tax revenue. plan b would be to make sure everybody's taxes don't go up. it would be legislation to keep taxes where they are for people making $1 million and less. listen to what he told reporters afterwards. >> at the same time we will continue to talk with the president we are going to also move plan b. i think we all know that every income tax filer in america is going to pay higher rates come january 1 unless congress acts. so i believe it is important that we protect as many american taxpayers as we can. and our plan b would protect american taxpayers who make $1 million or less and have all of their current rates extended. >> reporter: as we were talking, the white house officially
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released the statement rejecting the so-called plan b legislation and that is not a surprise because it is in keeping with what we have heard from democrats. senior democrats who laughed this off as a joke. one senior democrat said this is a punch line, not a compromise. because they believe that the president in recent days has moved more towards the speaker than even many in the president's own party want him to and that the speaker simply can't deal with the pressure that he is getting from fellow republicans. there are certainly a lot of issues going on here but right now it looks like the republicans are going to push forward on taking this vote probably on thursday and by all accounts it does not look like it will get the votes to pass. >> as you were speaking actually i just got this statement here. let me read for our audience if i can. the president has put a balanced reasonable proposal on the table that achieves significant
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deficit reduction and reflects real compromise by meeting the republicans half way on revenue and more than half way on spending from where each side started. the parameters of the deal are clear and the president is willing to continue to work with republicans to reach a bipartisan solution that averts the fiscal cliff, protects the middle class and puts our nation on a fiscally sustainable path but he is not willing to accept a deal that doesn't ask enough of the very wealthiest in taxes and instead shiftathize burden to the middle class. the plan b approach doesn't meet this test because it can't pass the senate and will not protect the middle class families and does little to address our fiscal challenges with zero spending cuts. the president is hopeful to reach a solution so we don't miss the opportunity in front of us today. so there is that. i don't know that you can call that platitudes and rhetoric. it sounds like a lot of the same. can i get quick reaction from
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you on the statement? >> reporter: i think it would serve the viewers well to show the gist of where the president was last night when he met with the house speaker on the big picture negotiations, what he offered because he did offer some things that he before vowed he never would. he is moving towards the speaker in some ways. on the tax rates for the wealthiest americans president campaigned for five years saying they would go up for everyone making $250,000 or more. last night he offered to move that level up to $400,000. he also offered what the white house calls $1.2 trillion in spending cuts. the republicans quibbled with that. they said the math doesn't add up. regardless that is a lot more in spending cuts than they would have agreed to and that is coming the speaker's way. and the other thing that the president offered was to extend the debt limit so that that is not a fight that draws everybody into the same position we are in
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now. that is sort of part of where the negotiations are going. as you heard from the sound byte he is arguing he said more importantly to his fellow republicans in private this morning that that simply is not enough when it comes to spending. let me give you a reality check here. so much of this is posturing and is a negotiated tactic saying to the president i need you to come further my way or else we are going to have this vote. he also probably needs to do that for his own people to show that the fall back plan doesn't have the votes to pass. >> dana bash live for us on capitol hill. a lot of breaking news coming our way at that time. thank you so much. let's hope the senate leaders have been a able to call their families because they are warning lawmakers that they could be working through to christmas and come back the next day in order to try to avert this problem. we are back right after this. y. you know how to mix business... with business.
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in the state of texas with our concealed hand gun license if you go through the process and you have been duly backgrounded and trained and you are a concealed hand gun licensed carrying individual you should be able to carry your
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hand gun anywhere in this state. >> texas governor rick perry weighing in on the debate over gun control and weighing in in a way that others aren't at this time suggesting that you should be able to carry a gun into school if you are an administrator you should be able to protect yourself. at this time the nra itself isn't weighing in. everything is quiet on that front. they are waiting, as they said, until they get all the facts before they comment on what has happened here in newtown, connecticut. if it seems like public opinion is shifting perhaps it is. some of the latest polling suggests it has shifted somewhat in terms of more pro gun control feelings. democratic lawmakers changing their minds, those who support the second amendment and don't support additional gun control. what about the national rifle association and when it does begin to weigh in? it is a very powerful lobby.
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is anything standing in its way at this time? here is carol costello. >> reporter: it is a familiar ritual for many politicians showing and telling their love of the gun. >> i am a catholic deer hunter. i am happy to be clinging to my guns and my religion. >> reporter: don't think this thing is limited to gun loving republicans. democrats run on guns, too. >> as your senator i will protect our second amendment rights. >> reporter: but sunday hook touched west virginia's democratic senator, a strong supporter of gun rights. >> who would have ever thought in america or anywhere in the world that children would be slaughtered? it has changed me. i don't know of anybody that goes hunting with an assault rifle. i don't know people that need ten, 20, 30 round clips. >> reporter: grass roots
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organizations have sprung up, too, marching on the nra. >> i am going to introduce in the senate. >> reporter: senator dianne feinstein swears she will introduce gun control legislation in a few weeks. don't count on the nra just yet. they're lying low. they know they can't win an argument when the emotion of the subject is completely tilted to the opposition. it is why he says so far the nra has not commented on sandy point. it is the same strategy the nra used after congress woman gabrielle giffords was shot. instead of publicly arguing the nra mobilized. the gun rights organization spent more on lobbying in 2011 than it ever had. $2.5 million. and it promoted personal safety through gun ownership like it
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did following bob costas's passionate plea for gun control after joe belcher shot his girlfriend and then himself. >> he wouldn't have said a thing if this woman saved her life by having a firearm available. >> reporter: it wasn't long before the nfl and gun control died down. as for gun control legislation passed after gabrielle giffords was shot, zero. and carol costello joins me live from atlanta. very interesting piece that you put together. i am curious about the history of the nra's reactions after mass shootings. what is the typical m.o. of the nra after these tragedies? >> in a word, nothing. the nra doesn't comment. why should they? you can't win this argument with the specter of 20 dead children hanging in the air.
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as painful as it sounds right now, memories fade. six months from now people will likely feel very differently about what went down in newtown. the nra probably won't comment then either but it won't need to because roughly half the population still thinks the answers to tragedies is more guns, protection. >> so, carol, what about the power of the nra as a lobby? everyone knows it is significant. you saw some of the campaign pictures. what kind of power are we talking about when it comes to money and numbers? >> it is not so much about the money. the nra has millions of members, 4 million members or more. that is like having 4 million votes in your pocket. so legislators, lawmakers are elected and know that. they are talking about real votes they may lose if they pass gun control legislation. that is the power of the nra. >> carol costello reporting for
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us live in atlanta. thank you for that insightful reporting. and when we come back, how do you deal with grief when there is almost no way to deal with it? we have one very, very small contribution that we are going to show you in the way of four legged friends. questions? anyone have occasional constipation,
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some of the stories that are emerging here in newtown, connecticut of the day the gunman opened fire in the sandy hook elementary school are nothing short of unbelievable. in fact, six little children ran from the school in the midst of a shooting after witnessing their own teacher, victoria soto being gunned down right before their eyes. somehow they escaped that classroom and ran for their lives and didn't stop running after they got off school property. they ran down the street and ran to a neighbor. they ran on to his lawn and then they stopped. he had no idea what he was witnessing until he came out and asked what are you doing here. his name is gene rosen and he spoke exclusively to erin burnett last night. >> they were sitting so nicely. but then i saw a man in a very agitated way saying it is going to be all right.
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he kept raising his voice. i thought to myself strange. and i came to the children. and they were crying and mortified. and it was a school bus driver with them. i invited them into the house. and she said that an incident at the school. i had no idea what it was. >> reporter: and the children, how did they find the words to tell you? because they told you, right? >> they just start talking. the two boys mostly talked and they said we can't go back to that school. we can't go back. our teacher is dead. what are we going to do? we don't have a teacher. they were so brave and they were so good. i brought down some toys from my grand son's toy chest and i gave them some juice.
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and they called their parents. they were very brave and very good. and i was amazed. i was astounded at what they were telling me. something happened with one of the boys out of this grief in this carnage and he stopped. and he became very composed. and all of a sudden he stopped and he looked at me and he said just saying, your house is very small. i thought what a bright, wonderful boy. and he just brought to all of us a respite frame all of this darkness. i want to see these kids. i hope their parents will call me. i want to put my arms around them and tell them that i love them. i want the children to be the basis for our solution.
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>> that's gene rosen speaking with our erin burnett. those children will be going back to school but they will be going to a new school and will not be seeing their teacher again. victoria soto is set to be buried tomorrow. there are a number of funerals this week. hers is among them. we are back after this. song: "yeah yeah" label: universal] ♪ everybody well don't you know it's me now? ♪ ♪ yeah who's it, who's it huh? ♪ ♪ willy's back with a brand new beat now, ♪ ♪ yeah doin' it doin' it up! ♪ heyyy yeah, tryin' to bite my style! ♪ ♪ heyyy yeah, how you like me now? ♪ ♪ na na na na na na na na ♪ and everybody go uh! [ sniffs ] i took dayquil but my nose is still runny. [ male announcer ] truth is, dayquil doesn't treat that. really? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus fights your worst cold symptoms, plus it relieves your runny nose. [ breathes deeply ] awesome. [ male announcer ] yes, it is. that's the cold truth!
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one of the bright spots that we've been able to fine sense we've been here in newtown, connecticut a group that's come from illinois and brought with them a number of four-legged friends called comfort dogs. this is luther, the comfort dog with tim headsler his handler. i've been seeing your work and the dog's work. if you could for the audience who might be seeing comfort dogs for the first time it sounds obvious, what is a comfort dog? >> a comfort dog comes and brings comfort. they're like a living teddy bear, in some aspects or a furry counselor. >> literally you're inviting people to -- >> yeah. >> and they're obviously very safe because you -- we teach our children you can't come face to face with a puppy dog but these you can? >> they have a sign that says "please pet me" that's what they are here for. that's what they live for. they love to be loved and give
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love. >> my lord, they're beautiful. and you brought 12 of these dogs with you? >> right. we did. some had to go back early this morning because of a situation in the chicago area. we have eight now and a couple more coming in to relieve. we have dogs here this week. >> when you got here, did you know right away where to go, who to see or did you show up and wait for instructions? >> luther church charities, our church is christ the king we work through them and connect with people in the town. we have dogs at the high school right now. >> wyou've done this before. here for hurricane sandy. >> hurricane sandy, joplin, we also deploy volunteers out in disaster situations. >> can i ask you, do you notice a difference between how children respond and grown-ups response when it comes to the dog? >> about the same. both come town and pet, some show emotion, some will get down
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on the ground with the dogs. dogs at high school are basically laying down with kids laying around them all with their hand on the dog. >> that is right? >> petting the dogs, massaging the dogs. dogs are loving it. >> i say i want to come back as a comfort dog. i've seen everybody coming up and scrubbing your ears and giving lots of love. there's a certain dog you choose as a puppy and you have a test to get right dog to be safe as comñgdmzdog. >> 5 1/2 dog we see their temperament. if they have a temperament that allows you to do that, that starts the training process. we train our dogs as service dogs not that we use them as service dogs as disabled but they're trained not bark, bite, jump. >> if they wiggle, you know that they've got a temperament that might not be best for this line of work? >> so, from that point we spend personal trainer with a dog for eight months to a year and do the final training and place them in churches and schools.
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>> thank you for coming and talking to me. thank you for bringing your dogs. thank you for coming to this community. god bless you and your lutheran church charities. joining us, like i said, one bright spot in a very sad story. we are back after this. [ male announcer ] when it comes to the financial obstacles military families face, we understand. at usaa, we know military life is different. we've been there. that's why every bit of financial advice we offer is geared specifically
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the kids in newtown will be returning to school today, the kids from sandy hook will not be be because their going to come here to the monroe middle school campus, specifically look to the left, the chalk hill school. that was a school because of declining enrollment closed down and set to reopen as a community center. but now monroe county has decided to avail its services to kids from sandy hook. look across the street at the sign that has just shown up. welcome sandy hook elementary. it's really heartwarming to see that. here's how it's going to work. they're not going to be here today. we don't know when they're going to be here. if you look up there, there's a police officer who is blocking the entrance to the media. we want to be respectful. they're allowing teachers that are going into an adjacent middle school and also people who are moving all of the contents from sandy hook elementary actually into chalk hill when these children arrive